Newly Diagnosed

Hi Penny, welcome to the group and well done for having your surgery. I hope your recovery is going well - how long ago was your op? I had my hysterectomy in January 2022 and the post op histology revealed a couple of shocks: firstly that it had spread to the top of my cervix and secondly that rare precancerous “stics” had been found in both my Fallopian tubes. What this meant was that I needed radiotherapy and brachytherapy which I had April/May 2022. It’s okay and totally understandable to feel anxious and overwhelmed - I certainly was as I’d been expecting not to need any adjuvant treatment, and was a bit of a mess as my mind struggled to take it all in and tried to let it settle. I coped by phoning my CNS for support, talking to ladies on this group and also in private messages or emails with two or three that I’d clicked with. I struggled with the wait between the histology results and my first appointment with my oncologist, but once I had had my oncologist appointment, and had had my treatment plan explained, I was very much reassured and felt more confident. My oncologist was wonderful and inspired confidence in me. I hope your appointment happens soon so that you can hopefully feel reassured and have confidence.

Hi MarmiteFan59

Thank you for your reply.  My op was two and a half weeks ago and I saw my consultant yesterday to get the results.  That's when I found out that it was definitely cancer. I am waiting for a couple more results and an appointment for a PET scan. Once this has happened I will meet my oncologist. Thank you for sharing how your oncologist appointment went. I'm just terrified about everything. I have a lot of support which I'm grateful for but its times like this when I'm alone and can't sleep that I think about stuff and worst case scenarios.  Everyone says that I am handling all of this so well but I feel like I'm not.

Hope you are doing well now and thank you for your message.

Penny x

Hi Penny55 

Welcome to the group. I'm sorry to read of your diagnosis. I hope your physical recovery from surgery is getting better every day. The psychological aspect is difficult and this is just starting for you. I found that bit the most difficult. A lot of people say that being diagnosed with cancer is like being on a rollercoaster. My experience of it was a bit like that, each stage of surgery, test results etc were bad news and that was ongoing until I got to the highest grade and stage that you can get. It couldn't really get any worse. However, I have had treatment and my cancer is stable. If you would like, you can read my story on my profile, just click on my username. It is a good idea to write a profile yourself as it helps in other members replies to you and saves you repeating yourself. Click on your own username, click profile and save when you're done. You can add to it at any time. 

While I was having treatment I had counselling to make sense of it all. This helped a lot but it is also time, it takes time to work through all the emotions that it brings up. Best wishes to you for the next stages.

A x

Hi again Penny, all the way through my diagnosis, op and treatment, and even now post treatment, I was frequently told how positive and upbeat I was and how well I was coping. Trying to be positive can be exhausting so I didn’t put myself under that pressure - instead I opted for being pragmatic: accepting the situation and getting done what was needed. The first part I found quite difficult. Then I heard someone say that anxiety isn’t really about what may happen, but about not having control of it. So I found that an important part of learning to cope was accepting the situation and going with it, focussing on getting my treatment done, and trusting those in charge of my care. I sometimes had to “let go” on a daily basis, when I felt overwhelmed, but it’s what got me through. From what you say, it sounds like it’s a bit different for you as you only found out it was cancer post op, whereas most of us here know beforehand, and the post op results told us which stage. So you’ve had less time to get used to the idea than most of us had. Try and be kind to yourself and patient with yourself - it’s ok to be anxious and you will find a way of letting things settle and “even out” in your mind.